Hickory stave advice

[Aries]

I have a really pretty hickory stave I got from Dean Marlow in a trade here on the site. I have been making Osage self bows for a decade and a little embarrassed to say this is my first experience with hickory, so I have a few questions.
He said take down the bark and their is the back of my bow. Do I want the whole bow to be out of the sap wood? Is the heart wood any good? Looking at my stave I think it's big enough I could split it out to get a whole second bow of heart wood if this is a viable option.
These rings seem pretty tight but nice and flat, will this be safe un backed?

Also how does it respond to dry heat compared to osage?
I appreciate all of your help guys!

[George Tsoukalas]

Take off the bark and there is the back. Get close with a draw knife and then use a scraper-like tool for the rest.
When was the stave cut?
Do you have  a moisture meter?
What is your draw length?
Jawge

[Aries]

Draw length around 27 inches. I didn't get a date when it was cut but I'm sure it is throughly dry as it has been sitting in my garage in this state for the last 7 months.

[Pat B]

All you need is about 1 1/4" of thickness for a selfbow(at the handle). You could split out anything thicker than that and maybe have enough heartwood for another bow...at least a bendy handle bow.

[George Tsoukalas]

You can't be sure with hickory that it is dry. I've started on hickory that was cut 3 years  and yet not dry.

You can tell from the shavings. Are they dry and crinkly?

You can rough out the bow and then monitor the weight to see if it goes down.

Be careful check to see if you get drying cracks after bark removal.

The target weight influences the width. I'd go 66" ntn for a length.

Jawge

[Aries]

Thank you guys very much for the advice! I'll keep a keen eye out for signs of increased moisture as I start to work down wood.

[PAHunter]

I've made a few bows from hickory trees I've cut down.  Just posted one recently.  Here's some feedback on my limited experience:

1) take down the bark and their is the back of my bow. > Yes remove bark and that spongy layer until you see the white come through for the back.  Easy peasy.
2) Do I want the whole bow to be out of the sap wood? Is the heart wood any good? > ONce you thin it the limbs will likely be all sap wood but I like handles that are thick enough to show some heartwood. 
3) Looking at my stave I think it's big enough I could split it out to get a whole second bow of heart wood if this is a viable option. > Yep.  I would just make a big pretty handle but for sure you could try 2.  Chase a ring on the lower 1/2 bow.
4) These rings seem pretty tight but nice and flat, will this be safe un backed? > Yep
5) Also how does it respond to dry heat compared to osage? > I've done a little bending without issue and have been told it will bend well.
Good luck!

[Buckeye Guy]

All good advise so far!
One thing you may want to think about is since you are not used to hickory you may want to saw the two halves apart as hickory does not split the same as Osage along a ring and we want to know for sure you are getting the first bow before we think about the second one
or we may not get either one .

[Drewster]

Yes, good advice above indeed.  A couple of other things.   Based on the pic with the ruler, it looks like you will have 2"+  of sapwood and heartwood once you remove the bark and chase a ring for the back.  If you decide to split or saw the stave into two, you could always glue on extra thickness for the handle.  Per Pat B's comment, 1 1/4" is thinner than I like for my for my big hands but may work for you.  Just be careful that you don't ruin the stave.

I have recently made two bows from all heartwood and they worked fine.  I did heat treat the bellies on both.  The darker color makes a pretty bow.   Just make sure the hickory is dry.....really dry.  Hickory needs to be 6-8% MC to make a good snappy bow.  That's definitely dryer than the Osage you're used to working with.  I finish seasoning all my hickory in a hot box.

Have fun and keep us posted.

[Aries]

thanks to every one for the good advice seriously. And answering questions before I got to ask them (buckeye guy I was just debating splitting vs sawing!). Thanks for your thoroughness!  I'll keep you posted.

[dylanholderman]

you probably know this already, but you don need as much thickness if you do a bendy handle bow.

[crooketarrow]

  Hickorys my favorite white wood. I probley built 25 hickory bows. I can keep my hickory bows in the 60 inch range to no set to a 1/2 of reflex. A bow in the 50 inch range no set to a inch of set.

Heres a couple things that will help you do that. I like to start with around 2 inchs of reflex. I but in while green. (green wood steam, seasoned wood dry heat) Build your bow the deisgn you want. Heres what I do. When it comes to bendingd limbs. But you have to start with seasoned wood. I put in my hot box 1/2 hour before I start each time I been the limbs.

 REASON
Hickory known for sucking up hummity. And over night it will pick up to the relative hummity present. By putting it in the hot bow 1/2 hour (BEFORE YOU BEEN THE LIMBS) you take back out the relitive hummity. Other than that build the bow like you wish.

  I've built bows from just heart wood but mainly the sap woods used. Heart wood makes a good,cast,good speed,nice bow.
  I'd SPLIT IT AT THE HEART WOOD, and get 2 staves from that one. If you's like to try a heart wood bow.

  I need to get some hickory staves from you guys. It's next to impossable to follow a hickory ring. It dos'nt matter as long as rings ar'nt badly volated. I've never bothered following a ring in hickory.

  I've also barnished a few of them. I like the look, remember stain or dye before you barnish.